More than 8,000 people flocked to Kalbuh Park this weekend to take part in Oman’s first ever National Day Sailing Festival, organised and managed by Oman Sail. The event was dedicated to His Majesty and to celebrate Oman’s long-held affinity with the sea and sailing.

As part of the celebration, 90 of Oman Sail’s young sailors between the ages of 8 and 12 took to the water in their Optimist dinghies to form the Omani flag. The young sailors, all trainees from Oman Sail’s Marina Bandar Al Rowdha Sailing School, were grouped in green, red and white clusters to create the Sultanate’s national flag and then under the patronage of His Excellency Murad Ali Al Hoti, Shura Representative of Muttrah, were presented with awards at a special ceremony. The flag formation was accompanied by a musical show staged by Oman Scouts and Guides.

Speaking at the event, Oman Sail’s CEO David Graham said, “Sailing and the sea is as much a part of Oman as the mountains and the sand and was the driving force behind the Sultanate’s growth as a major trading nation and helped to develop a generation of explorers. Oman Sail has been tasked with reigniting Oman’s maritime heritage and our teams are certainly doing that.

“The community is at the heart of everything we do, and the National Day Sailing Festival offers the chance for everyone here to get closer to the sea and explore Oman’s nautical roots with us.”

“None of this could have been possible without His Majesty’s continuous support of Oman Sail and wise leadership of the Sultanate of Oman. We wish him continued good health and we hope that Oman Sail’s teams will continue to fly the Omani flag with pride around the world.”

With an emphasis on family fun, the sailing festival at Kalbou Park attracted people of all ages, demonstrating the strong and steady growth of interest in sailing that has occurred since Oman Sail was first established in 2008 to make sailing more accessible in Oman.

Visitors to the festival were treated to giveaways and a range of activities such as marine-themed games, a bouncy castle, a food village, henna painting and a special performance by Red Bull.

On the water, there were opportunities to try sailing on a Hobie 16 with Oman Sail instructors while a corner of the site was set aside for SEAOMAN to give the public a taste of their cruising and yachting tours, diving and powerboating courses.